Prison Love
by Tombraider97
Summary: Arica is captured, and falls in love with a surprising character. rated for T just in case. Human/Elite. Its not really an Arbiter story, the characters are OCs. *On HIATUS*
1. Kidnapped

**AN: Hey, here's a new story. This doesn't actually have Arbiter in it, but its story like the others. A human and an elite together. I don't know what happened after the wars of Halo, so srry if its not very canon. And I kno the name of the story sounds lame, but it makes sense later. I have character bios of this story on my profile if u want to look. So please read and enjoy. And i would love it if u would review when ur done!**

**I don't own Halo or any of that stuff it belongs to Bungie. Arica and Vel r my OCs.**

I tried to struggle as they dragged me along the dark corridor, but I could do nothing for I was captured in their iron grip. The Elites had kidnapped me soon after I ran away from home, so you could say this was my fault. Usually, the Sangheili would just kill someone they find, but they knew I was important. My name is Arica Grey, daughter of Eric Grey, a great general that has helped in killing many of the Covenant. Though the war was over, some Elites were still loyal to the Covenant, and others held grudges against the humans for killing their brothers. This was the reason they wanted me, to continue the work of the Covenant or to get back at my father.

I feared what they would do to me. If they tortured me for information, I would probably crack; giving them information that could kill my people. Or they could hold me for ransom, though I doubt my father would oblige, not even to save my life. The thought brought great sadness upon me, but I scolded myself._ This is not the time to get sad!_ I turned my head to look at my captors. The Elite on my left had the armor of a Zealot, a very high class if I remember correctly from my studies. The one on my right only wore that of a Minor, the lowest class in Elite positions.

We finally went through a door that led to a hallway filled with small cages. As we walked past them, I could see the prisoners in each one. They ranged from crazy grunts, to a lone jackal hanging its head sadly. The Elites dropped me in front of one cage, opened it, and then kicked me inside. I groaned in pain and clutched my side. I was lucky they hadn't broken a rib. The two Sangheili started to converse in their own language; well it sounded more like the Zealot was ordering the Minor. The Minor nodded his, or her I suppose, head and left without another word. The Zealot looked at me for a moment, seeming to think about what he was planning to do to me.

Then he was gone, and I was left alone, to wonder and fear about what they were going to do to me. I ran my long fingers through my brown hair, trying to calm my fears. Finally, after sitting there for a few minutes, I lied down and fell asleep.

I awoke a few hours later to the sound of the door to my cage being opened. I rose up as an Elite entered the small room. The Elite walked toward me, trying to grab me, but I wouldn't go down without a fight. I stood in a stance, preparing myself for when he would try to seize me. The Elite moved towards me and I dove for the opening on the right. I ran but was caught when I got through the door. So, I decided to do it 'tantrum style'. I screamed at the top of my lungs, banging my fists as hard as I could against my captor, and kicking my legs. This seemed to have no effect on the Elite, but I didn't stop; until he threw me on the floor with force. I coughed, trying to catch my breath after the pain distributed to my back.

The Elite, the Zealot one, picked me up and threw me over his shoulder easily. Now, I gave up, knowing I had no chance to fight them. I glanced up, seeing two other Minors with plasma rifles. I sighed, worried about what they were going to do to me. He continued to carry me down the long hallway. We walked for about an hour going through several doors, and making a few turns. _Where are they taking me?_ I wondered, afraid.

I was starting to drift asleep, getting lulled by the movement of the Elite under me; when they dropped me to the floor in a large room that was empty except for a few items. There was a strange- shaped container in the middle of the room, and two beds; one with an Elite sleeping on it. The Elite was still dressed in his armor and was strangely still, but he wasn't dead because I could see the rise and fall of his chest. His armor was different than the others I've seen or studied. It was gold with intricate designs, and covered most of his body. _Why is he sleeping? Or is he sleeping?_ These were the questions I asked myself.

They shoved me to the floor near the strange container. It was diamond- shaped with the top sides taller and longer than the bottom sides that held it up. It was made of a silvery-looking metal, and had an unknown language engraved on it. _What are they gonna do to me?_ I wondered, scared for my life. I turned around to see them discussing something in the Sangheili language. I looked around the room, searching for a weapon or an escape route. I looked back at the sleeping Sangheili and noticed that he still had a weapon attached to his side. I glanced back at the Elite guards, who were still conversing, to make sure they weren't paying attention to me. I started to crawl slowly towards the bed, towards my goal. Finally I reached it after what seemed like hours, and I started to reach for it when someone grabbed my ankles and pulled me back. A scream escaped my lips from fear. The Elite picked me up and threw me on the bed that was empty.

Other Elites came over and held me down, I tried to fight kicking and screaming, but they were much stronger than me. They tightly strapped me down to the bed. I struggled, though I knew it was no use. Then a female Sangheili entered the room. She was dressed in the customary Priestess robes. The Elites bowed their head slightly to her as she walked to the center of the room. The Priestess crouched down next to the container and began to chant the unknown language written on it. The container started to open and from it a blinding white light poured out. Then the light shone on me and I started to feel groggy and tired. I tried to fight it, but it was too strong, and I lost as my vision turned to darkness.

**Thanks for reading. And im sorry i didnt do very well describing the _strange container_. And that part is actually kind of from Star wars kotor,if u played it its called the mysterious box in that game. Plz review!**


	2. Lost in Paradise

**AN: Hey! Srry this chapter took longer than I expected, o well atleast its 2,300 words :D. Any way the setting for this place is a map from Halo:Reach actually called Forge World, i love that place its so pretty and awesome :P. I had some trouble with chapter like getting it to sound good and such but I think i did pretty good, and the I almost had a heart attack cuz I thought i deleted it O.O Btw this story might be a little unbelievable, according to my mother :( o well thats part of imagination! it's not supposed to be believable! :) So i hope you guys like it and thnx kiwipixel77 and DraconicReclaimer for reviewing! I don't own anything the video games belong to Bungie, and the song belongs to Evanescence(i love that name though its hard to spell.)**

**Also the italicized words are the song I thought went well with this chapter.**

_Run away, Run away  
>One day we won't feel this pain anymore<br>Take it all away  
>Shadows of you, Cause they won't let me go<br>Until I have nothing left, And all I feel is this cruel wanting  
><em>

WhenI opened my eyes, I was staring up at a beautiful blue sky. I was lying on my back, on soft emerald grass. I raised my head to observe my surroundings. I was no longer in the bed that they had tied me up to; I was now in a totally different world. I slowly sat up, not believing what my eyes were seeing. The place was complete… Paradise. The grass was abundant and everywhere except for the places near the water which was sand. From what I could tell, I was on a small island with a large mountain in the middle of it. I stood up and sauntered towards the water; I wondered if it was salt or fresh water. I crouched next to it and dipped my fingers in then tasted it. I spit the water out quickly when I tasted the familiar taste of salt.

Thunder roared above me, and then rain fell upon me rapidly. I shrieked in surprise as the raindrops splattered on me, freezing me to the core. I searched for a shelter to escape the rain until it stopped. I noticed a large cave to my left that would be perfect for staying under. I swiftly ran to it, which I had trouble doing since the only path to it was made of sand. I hopped over puddles of salt water until I reached the cave. When I entered the cave, I realized it was a tunnel leading to another large open space. I stood near the entrance of the cavern; looking outside as the rain fell, making everything look dreary. I didn't even notice the heavy footfalls being made behind me.

I screamed as something from behind me grabbed my hair and pulled me backwards. I fell hard on my butt, and looked up to see an Elite wearing gold armor with his energy sword drawn and ready. I struggled, afraid of the glare he was giving me. He threw me against the tunnel wall, causing me to gasp in pain as I landed hard on the sandy ground. I watched as he came closer to me with his sword behind him as if he was ready to strike. I tried to stand, but then collapsed to find that my leg was in pain from the collision against the side of the cavern. The Elite jumped towards me with his sword swinging, but I was able to roll out of the way just in time. I tried to crawl, but was unsuccessful when I cried out as he grabbed my foot and pulled me back to him. He let out a grunt when I kicked him with my other foot. He flipped me on my back and pinned me down with his sword only inches away from my neck.

"Please! Don't kill me!" I cried, afraid for my life. I closed my eyes, expecting him to plunge the sword through my throat, but nothing came. I opened my eyes slowly to see the Elite had paused, trying to decide what to do next. The Sangheili removed his energy sword from my neck and returned it to his side.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded, remaining on top of me.

I stared at him, trying to come up with an answer when he continued, "What? Are they going to try some new torture technique on me?"

The Elite stood up, releasing me from his hold. He started to pace back and forth, muttering to himself. I watched him, feeling a little confused. _What's his problem? He's acting kinda crazy with the rambling he's doing…_ I thought, a little worried of what was left of his sanity. He finally stopped pacing, but continued rambling to himself. I couldn't catch much of what he was saying, but it sounded like he was freaking out. I sat up, pulling my knees up to me for warmth. He was staring at me, and that's when I noticed his icy-blue eyes that seemed to have the power of penetration. He was larger than the other Elites I had seen, and his leathery skin was a dark gray like most. The armor he wore was a dark gold with intricate designs of the color bronze painted on as decorations. His helmet was similar to that of an Arbiter's.

"Um," I started, once he returned to his pacing. "Are you okay?" _Am I seriously asking the alien who just about killed me if he's okay?_ I thought, incredulously. _I'm pretty dumb, sometimes._

He seemed surprised by my… talking. He said nothing for a moment, and then replied, "It depends what you mean by 'okay'. Sanity wise, no. Physically wise, yes."

_Great, he admits he's crazy._ "That's good I guess." I mumbled. I shivered as water dripped from my hair down along my spine. I sat there, regretting running away from home. I sniffed then sneezed from the cold._ And now I'm probably sick._

"Would you like to go to my living quarters?" The Sangheili asked, after hearing my sneeze.

I froze, deciding whether or not to go with him. _He did just try to kill me, and he seems insane…_ I pondered for a moment. _Heck, why not?_

"Uh, sure, I'm freezing. Where is it?" I asked, while I got to my feet.

"Well, I use my jetpack to get there, but it can only carry one creature. We will have to take the long way around." The near nine-foot Elite explained.

"Okaay, this will be fun, a nice walk in the rain."

"Up a hill," He mentioned as he walked out into the rain, the direction from which I came.

I groaned. "Up a hill, and also with a possible psycho killer." I said quietly to myself.

I ran to catch up with him, letting a small yelp as the rain hit me. I finally caught up to him and I had trouble keeping up with his long strides. I stared down at the wet sand we were walking on, and then glancing behind me to look at our footprints.

"You know," The Elite started, "Just because Elite ears aren't visible like a humans, doesn't mean we don't have hearing far superior to that of a humans." He said, clearly letting me know that he heard me earlier.

"Oh," Was all I managed, feeling embarrassed.

We began to climb up the steep hill, or more of mountain, really. Luckily for me, my leg felt better and didn't hurt much as I climbed up. I slipped many times, each ending with him helping me. By the time we reached the top ledge, I was soaked and covered in mud. The green shirt I was wearing was now more of a brown shirt with green on it; and my pants were already brown.

"So where to now?" I asked, looking for the next place to climb up.

The Elite started to move aside the branches of a tree to reveal a weird blue light. The light was caught in between two round metal platforms.

"What's that?" I wondered, looking at the Elite for the answer.

"It's a teleportation system." He said simply. "Do you want go first or shall I?"

I thought for a moment._ Maybe he's lying about it being a teleportation system._ Many ideas went through my head of what it could do to me, so I said, "You go first. I'll follow."

The Sangheili looked at me, but said nothing and nodded his head. He walked up to it and then went into the blue light. He was gone. I moved slowly towards it, stopping mere inches away from the light. I sucked in a breath and held it as I stepped in.

I gasped when my view changed from a dreary island to a metal cave.

The cave was quite large, as big as a building back home. It was entirely made of metal on each four sides, sorta like a big box, I decided. There were a few different pieces of furniture like a bed, chairs, and a table. The items looked quite out of place though in the metal alcove. On the other end of the cavern was the entrance where I could easily look out and see the island below. Though it was shelter, it was still pretty drafty.

I shivered and turned around from the entrance to see the Elite starting a fire in what looked like a homemade fireplace. I walked over and sat down in a chair next to the fire to warm myself. The Elite walked over to his bed and pulled off the blanket covering it, and then returned to me; handing the blanket to me. I took it gratefully and wrapped around myself.

"Thank you," I said to the Elite. "For bringing me here and the blanket."

The blue-eyed Elite nodded, "Your welcome." A moment of silence passed between us. "I'm sure you have many questions." He said, giving me permission to start asking.

I started going through my list of questions, trying to decide which one first. "Where am I?"

The Elite sat down on the couch next to the chair I was sitting in. He stared into the fire for a few minutes before answering my question.

"That… is very hard to explain." He began. "Tell me first how you got here."

I started recalling the events before I came here to him. I told about the strange container, the Priestess, and being strapped down in the bed. As I told him of these things, I remembered the Elite in the bed next to mine. I gasped with understanding.

"What?" He asked.

"You were there! I saw you sleeping in the bed next to mine!" I said, surprised. "Well, it looked more like you were in a coma, but it was definitely you!"

The Elite seemed quite startled by what I said. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." I said. "I've never seen an Elite wear that kind of armor before."

He nodded, and then said, "Well, from what I can guess, this box can somehow trap the subconscious and keep it there."

"So, we aren't actually here? Just are minds are?" I asked, feeling somewhat confused.

"Yes, I suppose so." He replied. "And I have no idea how to get out; I've been in here for a very long time."

"Yeah, I can tell." I scoffed. I noticed that he was confused by what I said. "You just seemed like you've been in here awhile with that… rambling you do."

He chuckled. "What year is it?"

"2554." I answered. "The war ended last year. We are just starting to rebuild. Most of the Sangheili have agreed to an alliance with the human race, but the ones who captured me don't seem to like the idea."

The Elite stared at me in disbelief. I looked at him and said, "What?"

"Well, if the year's 2554, that means I've been in here for… ten years." He said his voice masked with incredulity.

I gaped. _He's been in here for ten stinking years? No wonder he's crazy._ I sat there saying nothing, letting this information sink into him. Now I felt bad for him.

"I'm sorry." I whispered with sincerity.

"It's fine. Just a shock." He replied, staring off into the distance. "What did you say your name was?"

I had told him my name and the reason why the Elites captured me during the speech of how I got here. "Arica. What's your name?"

The Elite started to reply, and then stopped himself as what looked like a feeling of sadness overcame his face. He averted my gaze and looked down. _I know some Elites after committing a crime their name is taken away from them, is this the case for him?_

"What's wrong?" I asked in concern.

He let out a sad laugh, and then replied, "I don't um… remember my… name."

I let out a silent 'Oh'. "I'm sorry, uh, so what do you want me to call you?"

He shrugged, "I don't care, but sense it sounds like we might be together for awhile, you may come up with a name."

I couldn't help, but smile a little evilly. "How about… Goldie?"

He looked at me as if I turned into a Grunt. I started laughing, and then suggested, "Fluffy?"

The Elite scowled at me, but I could tell he was smiling. I thought for another minute and finally came up with a good name. "Whatta bout Vel?"

He pondered on the name for a moment before saying, "Yes, that sounds like a good name."

I smiled triumphantly. Vel seemed to like his new name. I stared back at the fire, enjoying watching its flames move about. I realized I was starting to fall asleep, though I tried to keep myself up.

"Would you like the couch or the bed?" Vel asked me, noticing my sudden sleepiness.

I yawned, and then said, "I'll take the couch, I wouldn't want to take your bed from you and I don't think you could even fit on the couch."

Vel chuckled at what I said as he stood up to let me take the couch. I stood up slowly, willing my tired legs to go to the couch. Vel brought me a pillow and I took it happily.

As I lied down on the couch I said, "I hope don't care if your couch gets dirty, because I'm covered in mud."

"It is fine. We will worry about it tomorrow." Vel said as fell asleep in his own bed.

I sighed, surprised to find the couch this cozy, but by how tired I was, I would probably find a rock comfortable. I fell into a deep sleep quickly.

_ Alone, and lost in paradise_

__**Thanx for reading, and please tell me wat u thought of the new chapter!**


	3. Checking you out

**Hey! Here's another chapter. This chapter may seem a little boring, sorry if it is. This one is more about Vel and Arica bonding, and figuring out a little more about the prison they r in. I was gonna post a song with this chapter but I couldn't find one, though I know there is one that would be good. Any way I hope you enjoy and please review. The next chapter will a little more action in it. Enjoy!**

When I opened my eyes from a long night's sleep, I was staring up at the metal ceiling. It took me a moment to remember where I was, that I was trapped in some sort of mind prison. I sat up, stretching my arms after sleeping on a couch. The fire from yesterday had gone out and all was quiet, except for Vel's gentle breathing to my left. I shifted my body to look at his large bed, where he was sleeping.

I got up, and started moseying over to the entrance of his 'home'. The view was absolutely beautiful. The island looked like an emerald in a sea of sapphires. I stood there for awhile admiring the beauty. I looked down at my clothes, remembering how dirty they were from the previous day. I decided I could go clean my clothes in the water below, so I walked quietly over to the teleportation system and went through it. I found myself on the top ledge from yesterday.

I started to hike down, easier than it was last time. I walked to the edge of the water and knelt beside it. I started to wash myself, removing the mud from yesterday's events. The mud had gotten hard and caked itself onto my body. I rubbed at it furiously, until I was clean. I looked down at my clothes that were also covered in dirt and grime. I looked up at the big metal cave where I slept last night. I stared at for awhile, checking to see if Vel was up there. _ I pray he stays asleep, _I thought as I removed my shirt to clean it.

_Vel's POV_

I awoke, suddenly. I sat up looking for what caused the noise that released me from my deep slumber. I decided it was probably just the female human, Arica. I started stretching, thinking about yesterday when I met her. She was short compared to my size, long brown hair, and green eyes. My estimation would be she was around the age of twenty. I finished replacing my armor and I went over to the couch where she slept. I was quite surprised when she wasn't there. Fear flashed through me as I worried of the possibility of me hallucinating her. It has happened to me before. I searched for any evidence that would show she was here, and not an imagination. The blanket and pillow that I gave her remained there, but she was nowhere to be found.

I moved towards the entrance of my 'home' and looked outside, hoping to see a trace of her out there. I finally spotted her near the bank on the main island, washing her face and arms with the water. I stood there, watching her when I noticed her look up and I immediately took a step back, so she couldn't see me observing her. I waited for a moment, and then slowly took a step forward to gaze at her again. I let out a shocked gasp as she took off her shirt.

_Arica's POV_

I stood up, after cleaning myself and my clothes to the best of my ability. I ran my fingers through my hair before putting up in a ponytail. I stood there for a moment, enjoying the scenery around me. The peace was interrupted when I jumped at the voice behind me.

"Good morning," Vel greeted me, and then noticed how I jumped at the sound of his deep voice. "My apologies, I did not mean to startle you."

I smiled, "Its fine, just didn't hear you. How do you do that?"

He gave me a confused look. "Do what exactly?"

"Sneak up on me like that! You've done it twice now. I'm just surprised 'cause you're huge and I never seem to notice you." I complained.

Vel chuckled at my whining, "You're just not very observant. But that's quite typical of any human; no offense."

I scoffed, "Yeah, none taken."

I looked back over the water, noticing a very tall island not far away from the cave. The island was tall but short in diameter and it spiraled up towards the sky. As I was studying this piece of land, I heard and felt my stomach growl.

I turned back to Vel, who was smiling in a way with his mandibles. "So, what do you eat around here?" I asked, embarrassingly.

"Well, it depends what humans eat." Vel motioned for me to follow him as he started walking towards the tunnel where we had met. "Are you carnivores or herbivores?"

"Humans eat both." I replied, chasing after him since one of Vel's strides was like two strides of mine.

"Good, there's only fruit here anyway." Vel said, with a tinge of unhappiness in his voice. I remembered reading that Sangheili's are carnivores.

"So you've been eating fruit for the last ten years?" I questioned as we exited the tunnel and entered the valley.

"Not entirely. There are a few small animals that come around, but it's quite rare, sadly." He murmured.

I shook my head, "This place is confusing. Our minds are trapped in here, but there are also animals in here? And why do we get hungry if we are not in a physical body?"

Vel chuckled, and said, "Your guess is as good as mine. Our species didn't build this thing. We bought it from someone, who had gotten from a now extinct race."

Vel strode towards a tree that had plump fruit on its limbs. The multi-colored fruit was a mixture of red and blue giving it a hint of purple. Vel plucked one off and stared at it in his for a moment before reluctantly taking a bite of it.

I couldn't help but giggle at the look on his face. When I was close enough to the tree, I realized there was no way I could reach one. I jumped a few times, reaching as high as I could, though my efforts proved fruitless. I sighed in a defeat and noticed Vel staring at me with an amused look on his face.

I glared back at him, daring him to laugh at me and my tries. But Vel remained silent, continuing to stare at me. Finally, I asked, "Would you please help me and stop staring at me as if I was helpless?"

Vel laughed, before easily reaching up and picking off a fruit from a branch, and handed me the scrumptious looking fruit. "You're welcome, and you looked a little helpless."

I gave him a death glare before saying, "Shut it, and thanks." I took a bite out of the fruit and started chewing. I had never tasted anything so sweet. "This is amazing," I mumbled as I continued to finish off the fruit.

I sat down continuing to munch on the fruit in my hand, and started to think of home. I wondered how badly mother was freaking out. _I hope they don't start a war because of me,_ I thought, laughing at the idea. I didn't even notice Vel sit down next to me and I didn't notice the large animal climbing down the mountain behind us.

_Vel's POV_

She didn't notice me looking at her. Something about her I found… what? Interesting? No, that wasn't the word. Was I possibly feeling an… attraction towards her? I turned my head to the other direction, not really believing what I was thinking. I couldn't possibly be attracted to a human, could I? I suppose it could just be me not used to being around someone of the opposite sex. I had to use the word sex, didn't I? A scream brought me out of my thoughts.

_Arica's POV_

I screamed as something large attacked me from behind and pushed me forward. The thing had me pinned down and all I could do is call out for help from Vel. But instead of Vel pulling out a weapon like I expected, he started to yell at the creature.

"Vel! Do something!" I screamed, scared.

Vel continued to yell at the animal, calling it 'Aru'. _What is he doing?_ I thought, when I noticed the big animal removed its weight off of me. I immediately rolled over to look at my attacker. The creature had feline features, sorta like a sabertooth tiger, and it was big enough for me to ride it. The animal had short golden brown hair with golden eyes. It was obviously a predator and a born killer. I watched as Vel stroked its fur.

"What is it?" I asked, as I gazed upon the wild cat that seemed to be enjoying the attention it was receiving from Vel.

Vel shrugged, "I don't really know I just call him Aru. At first he tried to eat me, but somehow we became friends. Sorry he attacked you; he's probably never seen a human before."

I dusted myself off and replied, "It's cool, he just gave me a minor heart attack, no biggie."

Vel laughed at my words. "Come here, and pet him. He's a nice pet after he gets use to you."

I approached it slowly, and then started softly petting it. Aru began to purr loudly, with happiness. I couldn't help but smile at the large wild cat acting like a kitten. I turned my head to look at Vel who seemed to be staring at nothing but thinking deeply.

I found myself studying his features, his pretty blue eyes down to his muscular chest which I could see in between the gaps of his armor. I laughed silently to myself as I realized what I was doing. I was basically checking Vel out. I was snapped out of my thoughts as I heard him clear his throat. I looked back up to his eye level, when I figured he saw me staring at his chest. I embarrass myself so often.

**Oh! And thank you Drake-C13, DraconicReclaimer, HKH4, ultimate idiot, and hamoud for reviewing or adding this to ur Favorite's list or watever u did thnx for doing it. And if i missed someone srry thnx to u too. And thnx to anyone else whos reading this. And srry for not really explaining stuff well like how animals got there and such. Its not very realistic, but o well its a story...**


	4. Maybe Being Kidnapped isn't so Bad

**A/N: Hey, I am soooo sorry for talking so long! I hope you can forgive me, things have been very busy lately. Anyway heres the fourth chapter of Prison Love, and this one has more action in it and a fluffy ending! :D I hope you enjoy it and if i made any mistakes srry. And Bungie owns Halo not me I just own Arica and Vel.**

_A few months later_

_Arica's POV_

I watched as Vel moved closer to his target with his Carbine aimed directly at its head. Vel told me that I have been here for five months now. I had gotten used to this life, for now. There wasn't a night that passed where I wasn't thinking about a way out of this place; for me and Vel. But if Vel couldn't figure anything out in ten years, there wasn't much chance of me finding a way out.

My thoughts drifted to my home and parents. My mother was probably freaking out and telling my dad to search everywhere for me. I never thought I would be saying this but, I miss them. Terribly. I felt bad for running away now. I shook my head, scolding myself for thinking about this at a time like now. I ,then, couldn't help but wonder how badly I would be grounded when I got back. If I got back. I sighed, willing myself to think of the task at hand, which was gaining dinner. I looked back up at Vel, who was still waiting patiently for the perfect shot at his prey. We had been eating fruit and berries for the five months of me being here. I was perfectly fine with it, but I could tell Vel hated it and that he had cravings for meat.

It was raining, hard, like the day I arrived here. I shivered. I had begged Vel to wait because of the freezing rain, that would probably soon turn to hail. But Vel would have none of it. I adjusted my grip on the energy sword Vel gave me. The animal that Vel had his gun trained on was some sort of antelope. Vel had told me these animals, which he called _fallepes_, were quite tasty. I had to admit, meat did sound pretty good right now. I stared at Vel's lean muscles as they tightened; he was getting ready to take the shot.

The _fallepe_ moved closer to a clump of grass, and continued grazing, completely unaware of Vel and me. The animal, that was about twenty feet away from us, had pure white antlers as if they were made from pearl or ivory. Its fur was jet black and much taller than me.

_Vel's POV_

I targeted my trusty Carbine at the animal's chest, being careful not to damage any of the tasty meat. How Arica was able to eat fruit and be happy with it, I'll never know. Humans are strange… The _fallepe _raised its head at the sound of a sneeze behind me. I whipped my head around to glare at Arica, but I couldn't seem to be angry at her for she looked quite pathetic. She was soaked and shivering from the freezing rain. Arica gave me an apologizing look for the noise, and I nodded my head telling her it was okay.

I slowly turned back around hoping to find my prey still there. The _fallepe_ had gone back to grazing, apparently unconcerned of the sneeze. I got back into position to take the shot. I couldn't help the stab of guilt that went through my gut at the sight of Arica. I pulled the trigger, ready to get Arica out of the rain.

_Arica's POV_

I gasped as I saw a creature similar to Aru jump in front of Vel and me, taking the shot that was meant for the _fallepe_. The creature had darker fur and was larger than Aru and did not seem as friendly. The ominous creature turned towards us, seeming to glare at us for shooting it. Behind it the_ fallepe_ had fallen victim to its massive jaws and teeth. The creature started to paw the ground, like an animal would do before it charged.

"Run!" Vel commanded me as he grabbed my arm and ran the opposite direction. I had trouble keeping up with him. _Curse my short legs!_ I pushed myself to run faster, but it was all in vain as I felt my legs pulled out from under me.

"Vel!" I cried in despair as my arm left his grasp. I rolled over on my back to see the beast biting at my leg. I shrieked as pain flashed up and down my leg from the animals teeth tearing through my skin. I moved my legs in a desperate attempt to release it from his piercing hold. I kicked it square on the snout, causing it to back off and whimper in pain. I pushed myself away with my arms when I felt two hands grab me. I looked up to see Vel pulling me away from the angry beast. I tried to stand up, but failed when I felt the agony in my lower leg.

I looked back to check on the creature only to discover him much closer than I was prepared for. I gasped as it grabbed me and pulled me away from Vel. I heard Vel's Carbine go off, but it was useless as it seemed to have no effect on our attacker. I stared up at the creature as it raised its paw which had five vicious-looking claws. That's when I remembered: I have Vel's energy sword with me. I pulled it out and turned it on as the claw were about to rake my flesh. The creature howled in pain as I cut through its foot. I jumped up and ran/limped away before it could attack me again. I hadn't gotten far when I felt the animal's claws tear through the skin on my back.

_Vel's POV_

I stared in horror at the scene playing out in front of me. The _bulurgo, _the term I had chosen to call Aru's species, pulled Arica further away from me. I had to stop it before it mauled Arica to death. Fear flashed through me at the thought of being alone once again. I noticed that Arica had dropped my energy sword where she had fallen, and I moved to pick it up. I needed to figure out a way to get the _bulurgo'_s attention. I got down on one knee, to steady my hand for a perfect shot with the Carbine. I pulled the trigger, watching as the plasma bullet shot through the _bulurgo_'s eye. It roared from the wound, losing interest in Arica's unmoving body. _Please be okay._ The creature glared at me in anger with its now only one eye. The _bulurgo_ charged at me, leaving Arica alone and unconscious.

I dropped my Carbine, and then whipped out the energy sword. I didn't have time to react though as the _bulurgo_ pinned me to the ground with its wounded paw. I grunted in pain as the _bulurgo_ scraped my abdomen with its sharp claw. I stabbed the energy sword into its side, causing dark blood to gush from the wound. Seeing movement out of the corner of my eye, I turned my head to find none other than Aru racing towards me and the _bulurgo_. I felt the weight from the beast leave me as Aru pushed it off of my body. I sat up as Aru continued to battle with his opponent. As Aru distracted him, I dashed to Arica's side to see how badly damaged she was.

I rolled her gently over, on to her back, to analyze her injuries. Her worst wounds were on her back and her left calf. I checked her pulse which was steady, but she was losing blood quickly. I wasn't sure if I could carry her up the side of the mountain to the teleportation system with my own wounds bleeding heavily.

"Arica?" I tried shaking her awake. "Wake up!" But she was out cold. I gazed back towards Aru and his assailant. They were still fighting, but from what I could tell, Aru was beating him. I looked back down at Arica in my arms. She needed medical attention, and soon. So did myself. I lifted her up in my arms effortlessly, and started the trek towards home where I kept a few medical supplies.

I swore again as I slipped on the slick mud covering the mountain side. I repositioned Arica before I lost my grip on her slender body. I already felt exhausted, and I was barely halfway up the mountain. I set Arica down on a rock to rest for a moment. I felt for her pulse again. It was slower than last time. I sighed in worry, the thought of losing her was… terrifying. I cared for her as a close friend, maybe more. But the idea of me being in love with a human sounded absurd._ I'm not in love with her, right?_ I posed the question to myself, before picking Arica back up and continuing the trek. I let out a breath in relief, after reaching the top with the teleporting system in front of me.

_Arica's POV_

My eyes fluttered open to a metal ceiling. I was lying in Vel's bed, back in our home. I searched through my memories to try and recall what happened, that got me here. Now I remembered the beast that attacked Vel and me. I sat up slowly, groaning as I felt a dull pain flare from my back and lower leg. I raised my shirt and did my best to turn my neck to observe my back. I could barely see the scratch marks that had been stitched up and odd bandages covering most of it. I felt dizzy and tired._ Most likely from blood loss,_ I told myself.

I heard Vel's voice, and looked up to an interesting scene. I couldn't help smile slightly as Vel tried and failed to stitch himself up. Then my smile disappeared as I noticed the long and deep claw marks along his side. He hadn't seen me awakened, keeping his attention on what he was doing.

I stood up, slowly, being careful not to cause my injuries to reopen. Vel grumbled again as he messed up with his current task. I caught his sight as I began to walk towards him. He reached out and stopped me with one arm.

"Hey, you really shouldn't be up." Vel warned and tried to guide me back to the bed. I wasn't going to put up with it though.

"And you really shouldn't be trying to stitch yourself up." I replied back, staring him down until he gave in. My glare fell away as I noticed how exhausted he looked, as if he hadn't slept in weeks. I realized he probably had to carry me all the way as he was injured badly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to snap," I apologized, feeling upset at the way I addressed him. "Just please let me help you get patched up."

Vel stood there, considering his options. He finally sighed in defeat, knowing there was no way to get pass my stubbornness and his need for assistance.

"Do you even know how to stitch?" Vel queried me with a serious and tired look in his icy blue eyes.

"Well not professionally," I joked softly. "But I'm sure you can teach me. How hard can it be?"

Vel rolled his eyes at my uncertainty, but smiled none the less. "I really have faith in you now." He began to instruct me on the stitching process. I nodded as he handed me the needle and string together. I let a breath out I had been holding and got ready to pierce his skin with the skinny needle. I willed my hand not to shake, assuring myself that I could do this no problem.

"Where did you find the medical supplies?" I asked to help distract myself and Vel from the needle entering his leathery flesh.

Vel grunted from the needle before he replied, "There are some caves and small buildings on the island that contain medical supplies. This is one of the first times I've had to use them. You seem to bring trouble to my life."

I grinned, "I think adventure. And be thankful, it's better than being alone, isn't it? Or is my company really that bad?"

Vel chuckled as I continued to bind his injuries together with the needle, "No, your company is preferred after the years of solitude I had to bear."

I took a glimpse of his face, his eyes staring off into the distance towards the island. He had a solemn look, as if he was thinking deeply about something. I let my gaze fall back down to my work; I wondered what he was thinking about.

"There, I think I'm done," I mumbled and took a step back until I was stopped by Vel. His eyes looked at me intently, I felt as if his eyes were staring to my soul.

"Promise you won't leave me…" I was surprised at his words, and how desperate he sounded. "I can't… _can't_ be alone again. I don't know if I could handle it."

I grabbed his hand that was located on my shoulder and grasped it in my smaller hand. "Vel, I'm not going anywhere. Not unless we can both leave this lonely place."

I rubbed his hand between my fingers, hoping to comfort him and to take any fear of being alone again from him. Vel smiled at my promise, and seem to relax as I held his hand. I yawned from exhaustion.

"We should probably get some rest." Vel suggested, sounding a little sad as he released my hand. He sauntered to the couch and I went to the bed, he graciously let me sleep in.

As I lay down, and began to get situated into the perfect spot, I began to feel lonely. And bad for making Vel sleep on the small couch. I raised my head to see the back of the couch and part of Vel's back.

"…Vel?" I whispered.

"Yes, Arica?"

"…Could you…um…" I started. "Would you like to sleep in the bed?"

He raised his head and turned to look at me, "You want to sleep on the couch?"

"No, I meant," I paused, still stumbling through my sentences. "I meant, with me?"

Vel's face showed surprise, "Are you sure you don't mind? I mean, wouldn't it be a little…awkward?"

"As awkward as this conversation, Vel?" I questioned, smiling.

Vel laughed quietly. He sat up on the couch and silently walked to the bed. I smiled in victory as he lay down next to me. I snuggled close to his warm body which I was thankful after spending my day in the cold rain. _Maybe being kidnapped isn't so bad…_ I thought as I fell asleep blissfully.

**Thank you for reading and please review, I like to hear what you think and i don't mind constructive critism. Also the words fallepe and bulurgo just came off the top of my head and as far as i know they don't mean anything else... Hopefully I will update the next chapter faster...**


	5. History Lesson, PS Aru is Safe

**Hey! Soo sorry that is has been so long since I updated. Things have been kinda hectic for me. This chapter has some romantic scenes in it :D. And for those who were wondering, you will find out what happened to Aru in this chapter. **

**I don't own the Halo games, Bungie does, I just own the words and storyline, Arica and Vel.**

_Only you and_ _me_  
><em>On this endless night<br>And as the hours run away  
>With another life<br>Oh, darling can't you see  
>It's now or never<br>~ 'Now or Never' by Josh Groban  
><em>

_Arica's POV_

I awoke to find the alternative side of the bed vacant. I rose myself slowly, groaning from my wounds that I had gained from yesterday's events. I had fallen asleep quickly once Vel joined me. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and to my left Vel had his back towards me.

I swung my legs off the side of the bed and stood on my feet. I gradually approached Vel as he continued with the work before him. I saw that Vel was packing a bag with medical supplies.

"What's that for?" I asked, breaking the silence.

Vel jumped causing the supplies that he was holding scatter and fall to the floor. I did my best to hide a snicker as I bent down to help him collect his items. Vel looked at me, trying to hide his embarrassment at being surprised so easily.

"Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." I said, sheepishly.

Vel nodded, tucking the supplies into the backpack. "It's quit alright. I didn't expect you to be awake yet." Then he faced me again, smiling. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Good morning. I slept well." I said smiling. "So, what's the medicine for?"

Vel looked back down at the bag. "I was hoping to go find Aru, and help him if necessary."

"Good idea. We owe him our lives." I said with concern.

I grabbed my boots and started to slip them on, when I noticed Vel acting strange. "Is something wrong?" I questioned.

"Uh, I was going, um…" Vel started, and then cleared his throat. "I need to check your… wounds."

I laughed, "So, you're freaking out because you don't wanna ask me to take my shirt off?"

He chuckled slightly, and then nodded. I stood up, slipping my shirt up over my head, revealing my slim body. Vel stared at me for a moment and then advanced toward me. I slowly turned around for him to examine the injury on my back. I felt his hands remove the bandages covering it, and I wondered if his hands were shaking or was it me trembling at his touch.

"It's healing quite well." Vel managed to get out, still stumbling with his words at the awkward situation. "Let me see your leg now."

I considered pulling my pants down to freak Vel out more, but then I thought better of it. I pulled my green shirt back over my head, and then raised the left pant leg to reveal my other wound. Vel crouched down to analyze it.

"It's fine, too." Vel confirmed.

I turned around to face him and remembered the nasty cut he had received. "Do you want me to check your wound too?"

"No, I looked at it this morning. It's fine." He replied as he grabbed the backpack he had prepared.

I pulled my boots on, tying the laces quickly. "Got any idea where to search for Aru first?"

"I think the most logical place to look, is where we last saw him." Vel joked as moved towards the teleportation system.

I stared at him in surprise. Vel usually wasn't one for sarcasm. "Wow, I'm impressed." I said, following him. "I didn't know you could joke." I teased.

"Hm, and I'm still waiting to see if you have the ability to be serious." Vel smiled, slightly.

I scoffed, "Well, someone has to be funny around here."

~A~V~A~

It didn't take us long to hike down the hill and walk to the valley where we had been attacked the day before. There were small signs of the battle, dirt and grass chucked up in a few places. I saw drops of red and purple blood that had stained the green ground. The body of the_ fallepe_ lay a few feet away, mauled with teeth and claw marks covering its corpse. The second _bulurgo _was nowhere to be found. I turned to Vel who was kneeling and studying the ground.

"I think this is Aru's blood," Vel touched the dark, almost black, blood. "Or it's the other one's blood."

I followed the trail of blood with my eyesight and it led to a cave not far away. "That cave seems like a good place." I pointed.

Vel nodded and stood, "We'll have to be cautious, it may not be Aru."

We slowly followed the blood to the small cave carved out in the side of the canyon walls. Vel pulled out his carbine and handed it to me. I made a small groan of protest.

He gave me a confused look. "What is it?"

"Why do I get the carbine? I had the energy sword last time." I whispered to not alert what was inside the cave.

Vel gave an annoyed glance in my direction, and then a small smile. "Yes, and that situation turned out quite well, didn't it?" He pulled out the sword and activated as he continued to the entrance of the cave.

I rolled my eyes at his comment. Loading the carbine, I followed him into the darkness. Vel's sword gave off a luminescence, allowing us to see where we were walking. I could hear deep breathing coming from a deeper part of the cave. Vel and I reached the main room of the cave to find Aru sleeping on the floor. His wounds were deep and most of the blood had dried. He had many deep scratches on his side and a bite wound on the back of his neck.

Vel sat down next to him on the cold ground, laying his medical bag down and going through its contents. He started to treat Aru's wounds quickly.

"Could you hold the sword? It's the only light source and I can't see a thing in here." Vel said.

I grabbed a hold of the sword that Vel had left on the ground and raised it to where Vel could survey Aru's wounds. Vel immediately set out to heal the poor creature's wounds. He wiped the blood off around the scratches and then recovered a small bottle from his bag.

"I need you to sit by Aru's head and calm him as I pour this on his wounds. It's a disinfector, and it's going to hurt." Vel instructed.

I did as I was told and moved over to Aru's head. I sat down next to Aru, petting his head softly and doing my best to keep the light within Vel's working area.

"Shh, sh, it's okay, Aru." I whispered as Vel poured the liquid onto the animal's damaged skin. I moved back over to Vel's side once he was done to give him more light. He worked silently, and diligently.

~A~V~A~

"He should be fine now." Vel estimated. We stood outside the cave where we had discovered the injured Aru. Vel had treated him to the best of his abilities, but now all we could do was let Aru rest.

We stood on the small beach at the end of the canyon, Vel washing his hands of dark blood. I sat on the ground with my boots off, letting the sand in between my toes. My gaze found its way to Vel as I seemingly, couldn't get him out of my head. We have known each other for a few months, and I realized I cared deeply for him. _I wonder what he thinks of me._ We are very different though, and I can't help worry that he thinks of me nothing other than a child. He stood up and I moved my gaze to the ocean.

Vel moved from his spot and sat down next to me. "Are you alright? You're more quiet than usual."

I turned my head towards him to see concern in his eyes. I shrugged and reply, "Yeah, I'm fine."

He gave me a look of disbelief and I couldn't help but giggle. "I know this may surprise you, but I do have a quiet side."

"It _does_ surprise me." Vel jested.

I rolled my eyes, but remained quiet. I continued to look at the waves crashing against the beach, making me think this was the prettiest prison.

"Now, would you like to tell me what's wrong now?" Vel questioned, and then continued. "Other than the obvious part where we are trapped in a mind prison."

I smiled, and looked back at him, contemplating my answer. "There's not really anything _wrong. _I'm just in a thinking mode, I guess?"

Vel nodded slowly before replying, "If you don't mind my asking, what are you thinking about?"

_You._ But I wouldn't let myself utter that answer. I came up with a different answer. "Home."

"Where did you live?"

I sighed. "I live on my dad's commander ship until we find another home on Earth, though it may be a while. Earth has to recover." We sat in silence for a moment, and then I wondered what Sanghelios, the Sangheili's homeworld, looked like. "What does your home look like?"

Vel remained silent for a moment and I asked quickly, "I'm sorry, you remember your home right?"

He chuckled before answering, "I do happen to remember that. It's not that different from Earth, the one time I visited it during the war. And many of the fauna are predatory. Most of the flora on the planet has a red tint to it and even the large oceans do. And I miss it dearly."

I gave him a sympathetic look. "Well, someday, we will escape and you can return home." My voice almost broke at the idea of being separated from him, but I covered it quickly by pretending to cough.

"If they will accept me." He murmured. "And if I want to return home."

"Why wouldn't you want to go home?" I asked incredulously.

"Home has its good memories, but plenty of bad ones, as well." Vel sighed, and it seemed he was remembering all the bad memories.

I lay down, looking up at the sky that was slowly turning darker as the sun set. "What kinda bad memories, if you don't mind me asking?"

Vel glanced down at me, and I could see the pain in his eyes before he turned away. "My family."

My eyes widened, luckily he didn't notice, at thought of him being married. Last night's night immediately seemed awkward. I blushed, "Oh, you didn't mention you were married…"

He detected my blush before I had a chance to hide it, and he gave me a sad smile. "I'm not. At least not anymore."

I didn't like where this was heading. "What happened?"

Vel looked up at the dimming sky, and decided, "Let's build a fire, and then I will tell you my story."

~A~V~A~

"Before the war started, I was nothing more than a good surgeon and doctor. All Elites are trained to fight, but they had the choice whether to use those skills or not. When I had trained in fighting, I cared only about helping others, not showing them their deaths. But, I happened to be a great warrior. They offered me many positions in the Covenant army, but I refused them and went to the medical academy. I was born to a wealthy family, so money has never been a problem for me." Vel began softly, showing that his story was still tough for him to think about. "Once the war commenced, the Prophets wanted to use me as, I suppose you could call it, a special agent."

I listened intently, watching his face, and trying to read his expressions. Vel was focusing on the embers that drifted above the red flames of our fire.

"While the battles continued, the Prophets discovered another Halo. They sent me there alone as to not draw attention from the Humans. I was there to activate the Halo, but then I met the Oracle of Installation 02. He explained to me what the Halos really do, how they destroy everything once triggered. I knew I had to stop this. I took the Sacred Icon and hid it somewhere the Covenant wouldn't find it." Vel finished, though he seemed he was hiding something.

"Where did you hide it? And what about your family?" I asked, confused.

Vel remained silent, and it seemed like he was struggling for words. Vel didn't seem like the kind of 'person' who had trouble coming up with sentences.

"I-uh, don't remember where it is hidden." The words seemed to stumble out, not smoothly as they usually do. "But I am sure it is safe."

We sat quietly for a moment, Vel's gaze averting my gaze. There was something wrong, but I decided to not pursue it. I wanted to ask him about his family, but it seemed like a very touchy subject. Vel then broke the silence.

"The Prophets discovered my actions and betrayal to the Covenant and as punishment…" Vel's voice cracked with pain. I realized where this was going and I scooted over to Vel and snuggled against him, trying my best to comfort him. "…my family was killed, in front of me."

I didn't really know what to say at first, other than 'I'm sorry', but that seemed a little like a 'well, duh' moment. I looked back at up at his face, which still had tears running down it. I sat up straighter so our faces were at the same level, and I kissed his tears away. He showed no discomfort towards the action and then he wrapped his arms around my thin waist. I pressed up against his armored chest, wishing that was gone. I thought it would be more difficult to kiss a Sangheili, though this was just… perfect.

I began to try and deepen the kiss, but then, to my dismay, Vel pulls back. I stare at him for a moment, trying to read his emotions on his face.

"I-I'm sorry if that, was… um." I stumbled through my sentence, worried that he hadn't wanted the kiss and I only made a fool of myself.

"No. No, don't apologize." Vel whispered, quietly. "It was… nice."

I could tell he was being sincere as I looked at him. And I couldn't stop the smile that formed on my lips.

"Do you feel better now?" I asked, grinning like a loon.

He chuckled, and then kissed me again. "Yes, much."

**What did you think? Please tell me in a review! And thank you to all of those who have read and reviewed this and have add it to their favorite's or alert's list. Btw I'm sorry if i messed up on any of the history of Halo, the game is kinda confusing to me so I kinda just winged it, :P. And I'm sorry if there are any grammar mistakes, or any other mistakes. And I feel like Vel is a little OOC? I have trouble writing his character even though I made him... lol. Thank you for reading!**


	6. Lies

**AN: Hey! This chapter came faster than usual, just want to apologize for taking so long to update this story. I'm just a very slow writer. And I'm sorry that this one is so short, I just felt like I needed to end it where I did. Btw this story will prolly only be a few more chapter, then it will be over, but I am planning on writing a sequel. :D. I hope you enjoy, it please review if you have time, they make my day!**

_I watched as the golden alien approached my dad. I absently remembered this species was called Sangheili or Elites. My father held a pistol that was aimed at the Elite's head; though he didn't seem to care. The other men also had the weapons trained on the foreign visitor. I hugged myself closer to my mother, this being for me the first time seeing one of the aliens in person. _

"_I come here in peace." He began to my father. After conversing softly for a few moments, it had seemed the Elite had persuaded my dad that he did indeed come in peace. Then they left to another room to discuss in further detail._

_A few hours later, my father and the alien had exited the room. The Elite passed by me, on his way to his ship in the hangar. Our eyes met, his icy blue against my large green. He nodded at me, and produced what one my call a smile. I gave a small smile then ducked my head, knowing my cheeks were red. _

_Once the stranger had left, my parents had left me alone to confer. As I walked down the hallway to my bedroom, I noticed my father leave his room in front of me. I quietly followed him, curious as to where he was going. Eventually, he stopped in front of a door that required a pass card. He provided one from inside his uniform and then slid it through the machine. I had to move quickly before the steel doors closed. There was a large safe in this room, and Dad opened it. He placed a small item, kinda shaped like the letter 'T' and it had a green stripe running down the middle of it, inside the safe._

_I wonder what it was, and what its purpose was before I woke up. _

_Arica's POV_

I woke up with a jolt, realizing the dream I just had was not a dream, but a memory. The memory where I watched my father hide the Index. The memory where I saw my first Elite.

I froze as I recalled the Elites features. The golden armor, those icy blue eyes, and how tall he was. _Vel._ I laughed quietly at the thought that we had met so many years ago. That's when I noticed he was no longer by my side in the sand. I glanced around , searching for him.

Then I saw footprints in the sand that were directed towards the cave where Aru was staying. I stood up, to continue my hunt for Vel. As I approached the cave, I could swear I heard voices. I slowed my pace, trying to silence my footsteps. Then I recognized Vel's deep voice, and the other sounded strangely… electronic? I began to ease my way down the tunnel towards the voices. When I reached the main room, I poked my head from the tunnel to see Vel's back turned towards me.

I assumed he was speaking to Aru, but he wasn't even facing him. _What is he doing?_

"Don't worry. I'm almost done here." Vel murmured, as if answering to someone.

I couldn't hold my curiosity in any longer. "Vel?"

Vel jumped, and whipped around to face me. Several emotions seemed to pass through him, from surprise to guilt. Then he smiled.

"Arica?" He laughed. "You gave me quite a scare, did you sleep well?"

I noticed how he seemed to hide his right arm as he moved towards me, but perhaps it was my imagination. I smiled a fake smile, to cover up what I was truly feeling inside.

"Yeah, I slept okay. I had a weird dream." I paused for a second and then said, "Who were you talking to?"

He motioned towards Aru, who was now beginning to wake up. "I was just trying to soothe Aru."

_He's lying to me, but why?_ I tried to keep the realization from showing on my face, but I had a feeling I was about to fail. I nodded and did my best to hide my face. Luckily for me, Vel wasn't paying attention as he stroked Aru. I took this short moment to compose myself.

Vel looked back at me and said, "Don't worry; I wasn't talking to myself again."

I chuckled, trying to act normal, and then I asked, "How is Aru?"

"He's recovering, though it will be a while until he can move around." Vel stood and began to leave the cave. "I'm going to go get some food and water for him."

I nodded, "I'll be out in a minute. I just wanna take a moment to pet Aru." _Nice, lame excuse,_ I scolded myself.

Vel gave me an odd look, but finally gave a slight nod and left. I crouched down next to Aru, and began to pet him. I began trying to figure out what was going on with Vel. First, he was talking to someone, though I don't know who or how. Second, he lied to me. It hurt a little to think he did that so easily, but I quickly shook the feeling off. Aru began to make a noise, something that I would liken to a cat's purr. I smiled gently, until Vel appeared from the tunnel with distress written over his face.

~A~V~A~

"Arica! We need to leave, now!" Vel commanded, grabbing my arm.

I ripped myself from his grip, and turned to face him. He looked at me incredulously. I suddenly didn't trust him.

"Arica, what's wrong? We need to go!" Vel extended his hand out towards me. He looked at me, expecting me to take it. But I couldn't bring myself to do it.

After a moment, I brought myself to question him. "Why do we need to leave? What's going on?"

Vel sighed, exasperated. "Dear, we don't really have time for this. Just trust me okay?"

I just stared at him, not sure what to do. _It's hard to trust you when you just lied to me!_ I wanted to yell it, though I couldn't bring myself to do it. And maybe we really were in danger. I reached for his hand, hoping I wasn't making a mistake.

**Don't worry, Vel isn't like evil or anything. Everything will be explained later. Thank you for the reviews and basically to anyone who is reading this, lol. And I'm sorry if I get any of Halo's facts wrong, I basically came up with this story in a day and winged it. I will admit I did almost no research XD. I just decided to be... creative! Anyway prolly about to start writing again now so yay! And sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes.**


	7. Let's Get Outta Here

**AN: Hey! Here's another chapter! The last chapter and this chapter are kinda together, reason why they are both so short, sorry! I'm realizing prolly the next chapter will be the last chapter. Yea this story is short, o well. But I am planning Arica/Vel oneshots if you guys are interested? I'm sorry if there are any grammar or Halo mistakes. **

**Btw, I don't own Halo, Bungie does.**

_Now you say your trust's getting weaker_  
><em>Probably coz my lies just started getting deeper<br>-Black Eyed Peas 'Don't Lie'_

_Arica's POV_

"Vel! Would you please just tell me what's going on?" I practically shouted. I had to admit, I was becoming scared. Vel was up to something.

We had stopped by the entrance of the cave. Vel grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him.

"Arica, please. I need you to be quiet." He told me, with urgency in his voice.

"Would you just tell me what's wrong?" I questioned, trying to keep my tone from rising.

Vel peeked his head out from the cave, to survey their surroundings. "The Elites that kidnapped you; they're here."

I couldn't help the tremble that took a hold of my body at the thought of them taking me from my home. But as quickly as they had come, I had been able to take control of myself. Maybe this was our chance to get out of here.

"I saw them on my way back to the cave. I don't think they saw me, so we still have a chance to hide." Vel explained.

I paused at the word 'hide'. "I'm tired of hiding. We have weapons. And those Elites got here somehow. I think it's time for us to get outta here."

Vel shook his head. "There was at least four. And they all have weapons. Better ones too. It would be too dangerous to try to attack them."

"You said that you were a great warrior. And I'm a general's daughter. I know how to fight." I tried to reason with him, but it didn't seem like he was going to budge. "Come on, we _have_ to try!"

"Arica, I want to escape just as much as you do. But I would also prefer to get out alive." Vel paused, thinking of his next words. "Look, we should try to figure out what they want first. Perhaps they are not here to harm us."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure they are coming to say sorry for locking our minds up, with those big, dangerous weapons of theirs."

Vel scoffed, but otherwise remained silent. I pushed past Vel, and looked outside myself. In the distance I saw a lone Elite. The Elite wore the traditional SpecOps armor and wielded a plasma rifle.

I turned around to face Vel. "By the looks of it, they have split up. This _is_ the perfect opportunity to take them down."

"Arica, we should, um…" Vel was at a loss for words. I stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

I groaned as I grabbed Vel's carbine and ran out of the cave. He tried to pull me back, but I slipped away from his grasp. I brought the gun up to my shoulder, preparing for the shot. Until Vel knocked the gun from my hands.

~A~V~A~

"What in Halo are you doing?" I screamed at him, incredulous at his behavior. Vel looked at me with despair. I turned and saw the Elite coming toward us, weapons raised, and now he wasn't alone. I looked back at Vel, realizing he was just trying to stop me since there were more Elites than I had anticipated. Or at least I hope that's why he stopped me. I gave Vel an apologetic look as he wielded his energy sword and tossed me a gun.

Vel and I stood back to back as three Elites surrounded us. A Zealot, I recognized him to be the one who had carried me, approached the group, carrying a plasma repeater. He seemed to be the 'boss' of the small gang of aliens.

"Drop your weapons." He commanded, but I had no plan to cooperate.

"Hey, Vel." I whispered over my shoulder to him. "Do you think we can die here?"

I heard Vel chuckle and reply, "I would rather not test it. We should comply; it would be best if there was no bloodshed."

I stopped myself from scoffing. _The ever passive Elite, _the thought crossing my mind as I went through my options. I kept my gun raised high; even though I had a feeling Vel had already dropped his. As I was about to lower my weapon, I heard Vel behind me give a yelp. I spun around to see that an Elite had grabbed Vel and was now pressing a button on his arm guard.

I gave a cry of alarm as they both vanished in front of me. Before I could react, the other two Elites grabbed me from behind and forced the gun from my hands. I did my best to fight them; landing kicks and punches where I could. They threw me towards the Zealot who seized me roughly. He held me close and then pressed the button on his own arm guard. I continued to struggle as my vision turned to white.

~A~V~A~

Once I opened my eyes, I instantly recognized the room. It was where it all began. I jerked upwards, only to realize that I was still tied down. I strained against my restraints, but it resulted in nothing. I turned my head to look to my right, hoping to find Vel there, but the bed was empty. Then movement across the room caught my eye. Vel stepped out of the shadows.

"Vel? What's going on?" I questioned, becoming angry. _He lied this whole time, didn't he?_ "You were with them this entire time, weren't you? You lied to me about everything!"

"Arica, calm do-."

"Don't tell me to 'calm down', you jerk!" I couldn't stop the tears. "I trusted you. And you just used me."

Vel was about to reply, when the Priestess, who had performed the ritual, entered the room. "Should we move her to one of the prison rooms?"

I wasn't really paying attention any more, but I think I heard Vel agree. I felt a quick pain in my arm. I let out a quiet yelp, but then the drugs already began to take effect.

~A~V~A~

I woke to someone gently prodding me awake. I opened my eyes, though everything was blurry. "Who's there?" I whispered softly.

"It's me, Arica." I distinguished Vel's voice and immediately backed away from him. As my vision began to clear, I noticed the hurt look on his face. It didn't bother me much since he betrayed me. "Please, let me explain."

I shook my head only to groan in pain as it felt like I had been knocked in the head about fifty times. "Why? So you can lie to me some more?"

"I'm sorry I lied. I didn't have much of a choice. I was trying to make sure you didn't get hurt." Vel replied, pain evident in his voice."I didn't lie about everything."

I chuckled, and looked back up at him. "Oh? Would you like a medal for not being a 'complete' liar? What didn't you lie about?"

"My past. What happened to my family. The only reason I did what I did was to… gain back some honor, I suppose." Vel began. "And I didn't lie about being trapped there. Just not as long as I had originally said. They came to me one day and offered me a deal. I took it. I couldn't stand to be in there one more day. I'm sorry that it ended up being you…"

I contemplated Vel's words. I didn't hate him as much now, but I was nowhere near ready to forgive him of his actions.

"I didn't lie about my feelings for you, Arica." Vel whispered, now barely audible.

I smiled, slightly. I couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved. "I have to admit, I'm glad you said that."

Vel returned my smile, and then his face grew serious again. "Arica, this is probably not the time, but… I think I'm…"

I waited patiently, though I was pretty sure how his sentence was going to end. _Did I feel the same way? Maybe if he hadn't stabbed me in the back._ I moved over to him and placed a hand over his mandibles to stop him from speaking.

"Don't say it. Not yet." I started. "Because I don't know if I can return the words, after what happened…"

Vel nodded, "I understand. Someday I hope I will be able to redeem myself in your eyes."

I grinned, and began to open my mouth when Vel stopped me. "And I want you to know you still have my affections, even if you can't return them."

I chuckled, and then gave him a small kiss on his cheek. "Wanna help me bust outta here?"

_And the reason for my confession is that I learn my lesson  
>And I really think you ought to know the truth<em>

**Plz tell me what you think in a review or PM. They make me very happy :D. Hopefully the next chapter will be longer. And thanx to all who review, favorited, or followed my story! And don't ask me why I chose that song, the lyrics seemed to fit...**


	8. Escape

**AN: Hey, jeez I am so sorry, it took me so long to get off my lazy butt and write this :P. Well, as a treat it's longer than I usually write... 4,000 words, YAY! lol. And this isn't the last chapter, I'm going to try to make it longer and still interesting. Again, if there are any grammar mistakes or Halo storyline mistakes sorry, and if there is maybe this story is slightly AU. This chapter has a lot of action and orignally I had planned for there to be more romance but that didn't really happen... I'm not very good with romance scenes... I read them all the time but when I write them i feel weird... o well. Hopefully the next chapter will be more romantic. I'm also not very good at action scenes... lol. Any way I hope you like, and thanx to all who read this and are still reading it. And thanks for the reviews they are awesome XD.**

**Bungie owns Halo, blah, blah, blah. I own Arica and Vel, and now Tehro. Btw Tehro is pronounced 'Tay-row', and Kylok 'Kye-lock.'**

_Arica's POV_

I was growing impatient. It had been a while since Vel's last visit. He would come during the night to discuss our plan, but we were having trouble coming up with one that had no flaws. I had suggested taking a ship out from their hanger, but Vel deprecated it; saying what would stop the Covenant from blasting us to pieces. I sat there, in my tiny cell, back against the wall. Vel mentioned the Covenant wanting to extract information from me, but they have yet to begun. Which made me nervous. They were waiting for something… or perhaps someone.

The door to my cell opened, causing me to rouse from my thinking trance. I expected to see Vel, but was instead greeted by the Zealot. I began to stand up, but the Zealot harshly grabbed my shirt, quickly bringing to my feet and then I was practically dragged out. The Zealot shoved me from the doorway, resulting with me on the floor. I looked up to see a few other Elites and Grunts surrounding me, but my eyes were focused on Vel's golden armor. His face remained stoic during my pain. _Good actor,_ I determined.

I pushed myself up, only to have the Zealot's foot slam my body back down. I groaned as he pressed down harder, causing a rib to snap. I gritted my teeth together to keep from crying out. He removed his foot and grabbed me by my loose ponytail, pulling me into a standing position. The Elite bounded me with hand cuffs built by the Covenant around my wrists. Vel was now standing by a Prophet. I had never seen one before except in pictures and videos. Nothing impressive as far as I was concerned; old, wrinkly, sits in a hover chair all the time.

"This is the human who has the information?" The Prophet asked, looking at me with disdain. Vel nodded once, remaining silent.

The Prophet moved closer to me and the Elite restraining me asked, "What is your command?"

The Prophet looked at me and said, "What is that saying on Earth?" He brought his face closer to mine. "'We can do this the easy way or the hard way'?"

I smiled ruthlessly, and then spat in his face. The Prophet jerked back violently, cursing me out in his language, most likely. I laughed at his reaction until the Elite twisted my arm hard. He stopped before it broke, but it still hurt. I bit my lip from crying out in pain. The Prophet was working hard to remove my saliva from his face, still crying out. Once he regained his composure, the Prophet shot me an icy glare. "I suppose this means the 'hard way'."

I decided I didn't want to find out what the 'hard way' is, so I jumped into action. I stomped hard on the Elites foot, but when it didn't cause the reaction I was looking for, I kicked below his knee. His leg buckled and he kneeled down, giving me the chance to head butt him with the back of my head. It probably would have hurt me more if not for the adrenalin. But it still gave me the chance to pull away from him. I jumped high, bringing my hands from behind me to in front of me. A Grunt came towards me, but I showed no fear as I punched it in the face and grabbed its face mask. I pulled hard, ripping the mask from the Grunt's face. I then reached for the Grunt's plasma pistol, brought it up, and shot through the Grunt's head.

The Grunts shrieked at my actions and tried to run away only to have themselves stopped by the Elites. I shot several times, being careful not to hit Vel, as I ran down the hallway to escape. I turned my attention from shooting to running away. As I ran, I tried to determine how to remove it from my wrists. I thought about blasting it off with the pistol, but I didn't want to take the chance of blowing my hand off. I began to search for a place where I could hide from the Covenant. I could hear them catching up to me.

I stopped when I noticed an archway above me. The archway was high enough so you couldn't see the top, but low enough so there was sufficient room to fit in. It would be difficult to reach by climbing, but not impossible. I managed to find foot holes as I climbed up the slick metal. I moved as quickly as I dared. I barely accomplished the task by the time they rounded the corner. I laid flat on my back, trying to regulate my breathing.

"Where do you think she went?" A Grunt asked.

_Smack!_ The Grunt whimpered in response to the beating. I assumed one of the Elites did it, probably the Zealot. I couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic to the Grunts; they are usually mistreated.

"Shut your mouth, and keep searching!" The command rang out loud, resonating down the hallway.

"Maybe keep it down, Tehro. The whole Covenant army doesn't need to hear you." I recognized Vel's voice. I couldn't help the smile that came from Vel's quip.

"Well, you aren't in charge here, now are you, 'doctor'?" Tehro spat back. "I don't know why the Prophet insists on keeping you here, Kylok. You are useless as far as I am concerned."

"Because I don't act like a _Jiralhanae, _unlike you." Vel replied calmly, but I could hear the venom behind his words. Or Kylok replied. _He lied to me about that as well,_ I thought, dismayed.

The Grunts had moved on, searching for me. Tehro and Kylok remained somewhere beneath me. Everything was quiet, until a loud beeping broke the silence. It took me a moment to realize the beeping noise was coming from me, and I tried to work quickly and quietly to shut it off. But I was too late, as those below me began to shoot at the archway. I cried out in agony as I felt the burn of plasma on my arm. I rolled off the archway accidently, landing hard on the metal floor. I groaned from the impact.

I rolled onto my back to see the Zealot, Tehro, holding a carbine aimed at me. When he got close, he fixed the point of the gun over my leg pulled the trigger. The green beam shot through my shin. I heard him mention something about a tracking device as I fell into unconsciousness.

~A~V~A~

I woke up sitting in a chair. I felt light-headed, and at first I didn't remember what happened. Then I looked down at my leg. They had done little to stop the blood flow other than wrapped a cloth bandage around it. The pain was almost excruciating, and I had to keep myself from crying. I looked up to survey my surroundings. I was in a small dark room, an interrogation room. There was a tray next to the chair that had several different implements on it.

Kylok emerged from the sliding door in front of me. The Prophet and Tehro entered after him. Kylok moved towards the tray, preparing something.

"Kylok may be a good doctor and fighter, but he also has another specialty." The Prophet paused. "He seems to have a way of getting information out of the most difficult people."

I did my best to keep still; I didn't want them to see my trembling. Kylok set the instrument he had been working with down. He grabbed me hard by the neck, pushing me back into the chair. We are face to face.

"Now, you could save me a lot of time and yourself a lot of pain by going ahead and telling me what we want to know, or things could get… distasteful." Kylok said in a soft but menacing voice.

I remained silent, hoping I could stay that way for the rest of the interrogation. When Kylok realized I wasn't going to answer, he kicked my injured leg with his foot. I whimpered with pain as it burned through my leg. _Why is he doing this?_ I can't help but wonder, but I already know the answer. _He has to remain undercover._ He asks me questions, like where the Sacred Icon is, what ship it was kept on when I saw it, and many others that I wouldn't answer.

Kylok backed away from me, picking up a small vial from the tray. The small vial was filled with purple fluid. "This is a chemical we use often in interrogations. It affects the brain, causing it to hallucinate. But everything the brain perceives, feels like it is actually happen. If you are hurt during a hallucination, you will feel the pain as if it is real. The larger the dose, the longer the hallucination will be. At first they will be short, but if you continue to keep quiet and not answer our questions, they will get worse. Understood?"

He looked at me after explaining to me what was about to happen, and I couldn't decide if I really trust him or not. He may still be lying to me, messing with my mind. I nodded slightly, praying I will be able to endure the pains. Kylok lingered for a moment, and then move the vial down to my arm. A small needle pops out of the vial and is pressed into my skin. The liquid entered quickly. And I waited for the fight to begin.

~A~V~A~

After hours of being drugged, beaten, and interrogated, they returned me to my cell. I had no strength to fight back as they carelessly tossed me inside. I did have the strength to not say anything after all that time at least. I groaned from the pain that passed through me. I tried to pull myself up, but gave up when I decided it wasn't worth it. I heard the door open and I managed to roll over to see who was entering. Kylok shut the door the moment he entered, and he carefully picked me up. He helped me lean against the wall of the cell. He pulled out another small vial, this one with blue liquid in it.

"Don't worry, this one will heal you." He whispered as he injected me with it. Usually I would have resisted, but I was too exhausted. "It's one of the cruel things we do. We torture, and then heal, so we can torture you some more."

"That _is_ cruel." I croaked, my voice hoarse from screaming. Then I noticed the medicine beginning to work. My injuries were already hurting a lot less. I look into Kylok's blue eyes. All I see is sorrow and pain.

"I am…" He began, his voice breaking. "I am so sorry. I didn't want to hurt you, but I-I didn't have a choice."

I held his much larger hand in mine. "It's okay; I understand why you did it." I did my best to comfort him, but it sounded pretty weak.

Kylok/Vel sat down beside me, still holding my hand. "You are much stronger than I thought you would be." He mumbled softly.

"Thanks for having so much faith in me." I joked quietly. He chuckled.

"Why didn't you tell me? About your name?" I asked, curiously. "Kylok." I said, trying the name out on my tongue.

"I wanted you to call me Vel. It was a second chance for me. I still want you to call me Vel." He answered, sincerely. "Kylok has only caused pain to others, and became the very person I didn't want to be."

I nodded, understanding his choices. "I like Kylok. It's a cool name. Sounds kinda like a Star Trek name."

"Star Trek?" Vel bemused.

I laugh, gently. "It's a long story. Something we humans like."

He nodded slowly, but said nothing. It was like this for a few moments. It was a comfortable silence, which I broke.

"I don't think I can go through it again." I whispered.

Vel looked at me, thinking. "I don't think I can do it to you again."

"We need a plan. And we need one tonight." I affirmed. "You said the Covenant would blast us if we took one of their ships?" He acquiesced. "Then we need to give them a reason not to shoot at us. Like a hostage."

"You're right. That may work." Vel agreed.

"What about me? I have information they want." I questioned.

He paused, thinking it over. "I doubt it. You aren't that significant. They have other plans for an attack."

I smirked. "That's nice of you to say, sweetie. You really know how to make a girl feel special." Vel rolled his eyes, acting annoyed, but I could see his smile.

"You know what I mean." Vel grinned. "And 'sweetie'?" He asked, amused.

I shrugged my shoulders, smiling. "Whatta bout the Prophet? Could we take him?"

"I don't think we could capture him." Vel discredited. "He's constantly guarded, and they are other Prophets who could take his place."

"Well, aren't we just awesome at making plans?" I joked. "Do you have any better ideas?"

Vel sat there, pondering the situation. I kept quiet to let him think. I reached for my pant leg and pulled it up. The wound was already mostly healed. I checked my arm where I got shot by the plasma rifle. It had the same result.

"Actually, yes I do." Vel answered, beaming.

"Who?"

"The Priestess. They would be too afraid to kill her. They believe harming a Priestess angers the gods." Vel explained.

"Alright. Now how do we get her?"

"It won't be easy, but I believe we can arrange it." Vel stood up, preparing to leave. "Tomorrow, when I come for you, you will need to escape and find the Priestess."

I rose slowly, testing my leg. "I don't know if I will be able to run. My leg isn't in very good condition. And I have no idea where to search for Priestess."

"I will give you what you need tomorrow. A map, a weapon, and a cloaking device. That way you won't need to move fast." Vel spoke softly. "When I come back, I will give you more details. Do you still trust me?"

That was the big question. _Do I still trust him?_ "Yes." I am surprised at my own answer, but I don't let it show.

Vel gently smiled. I can tell from his face he doesn't believe me, but says nothing as he turns to leave.

~A~V~A~

Vel entered my cell quietly the next morning. Or at least I assumed it was morning, I really had no idea. Vel carried several items with him.

"Here's the map." Vel began by handing me a small device. The edges were made of purple metal and the middle was made of glass. On the glass was the map of the Covenant base. Somehow, Vel had it translated to English so I could read it. He pointed to a long a hallway with small rooms connected to it. "This is where we are," He moved his finger across the map to point at a large room. "And this is where the Priestess usually spends her time."

"Ok, so once I escape, you want me to go there?" I confirmed. Vel nodded and then hands me the next item, a small metal disk.

"Press the button on top to turn it on. It should run for about an hour, hopefully enough time for us to escape. Clip it somewhere unnoticeable." Vel instructed. I attached it to my belt and then pulled my green shirt down over it. Next, Vel handed me a small metal rod.

"What's this?" I asked, turning it over in my hands. Vel takes it from me and compresses a button on the bottom. A purple beam extends from the rod, giving a warm glow.

I took it from Vel's hand and looked it over. "Sweet! A lightsaber!" I smiled and then glanced up at Vel's confused face. "Another human reference."

He gave me one last item, and it is another small vial or shot, but this one has green liquid in it. "Inject the Priestess with this, and it will render her unconscious. I will come along and pretend to take her to a medical room, but actually I will meet you in the hanger."

"And then, we grab ourselves a ship and get away from this horrid place." I said excitedly, ready to escape.

"But I must warn you, there is a chance that we may run into each other, since everyone will be searching for you. If that happens, you will have to fight me." Vel advised me. He then smiled softly and added, "Go easy on me, if you do."

I chuckled. "I think it's the other way around."

"Ready to go?"

"First, show me where the hanger is." I hold the map up and Vel shows me where the hanger is located.

I take a deep breath. "Let's move out."

~A~V~A~

I limped from my cell with Vel close to my back. He had hand cuffed my wrists together behind me, and I held the small weapon tightly. Tehro stood there waiting, but other than that there was no one. _That will make it a tad easier._ I wait a few moments, letting them lead me down the long hallway, before I initiated the plan.

I made sure to hold the sword away from me as I squeezed the button. Vel stepped back to keep himself from getting cut, giving me the chance to pull aside. I cut my hand cuffs with the purple beam of light, and then I took off down the hall. My hands fumbled for the cloaking device clipped on my belt. Once I pressed the button, I turned invisible. I brought out the map as I slowed my pace. I quickly memorized the way to the Priestess' room and how to get from her room to the hanger. I replaced the map back on my belt, and pulled out the syringe of green liquid.

As I traveled down the long hallways, I could see it being easier to get lost in here. Everything looked the same, and corridors would branch off of hallways, making it look like a huge labyrinth. After about fifteen minutes of dodging the guards, I made it to the room Vel told me about. I stopped and crouched, watching the Priestess exit her room. _Great timing,_ I thought as I raced forward, ready to inject her with the lime-green solution.

The active camouflage flickered off from my speed, and the Priestess gave a look of surprise as I jumped towards her. Once I got close enough, I injected her, in mid-jump, at the base of her neck. As I hit the floor, she had already toppled down and lay unconscious. I was amazed at how fast it knocked her out.

I heard a small noise behind, and I whipped around quickly to investigate. Vel stood at the end of the corridor, staring at me. _Maybe I could run,_ I wondered only for a moment as Vel suddenly sped towards me. I stood my ground as he approached me, and I tried to come up with a plan on how to fight him. When he neared me, he pulled his fist back, preparing to punch. I ducked as his fist advanced towards my head. I used the momentum to roll myself behind him, and then gave him a swift kick on the back. He stumbled forward and I pulled out the weapon Vel gave to me previously. He turned around to face me, and came at me again. I waited until he was close enough and brought my foot up promptly into his jaw. Vel staggered for a moment before falling to the floor, knocked out.

I stuffed the metal rod back into my pocket before activating the cloaking device, and moving on to the hanger. I wondered if Vel was really knocked out, or if it was just an act.

~A~V~A~

I wait for Vel in a corner of the hanger. _Perhaps I did more damage than I thought._ There were a few Grunts and an Elite to supervise them. They were repairing the ships by the look of it. It was quite comical at times how the Grunts acted. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but you could tell when they were fighting about something. The Elite's comm. beeped, alerting him to something important and he left in a hurry. I sat there bored, when a great idea popped into my head. I got up slowly and moved towards where the Grunts were working.

I came up close to one Grunt, and absently wondered if Grunts believe in ghosts as I whispered "Boo!" into his ear. The Grunt jumped in fear and gave a high-pitched shriek. I backed away quickly to avoid his flailing arms. I had to cover my mouth with my hand to keep from laughing hysterically. The Grunts began whispering among each other, constantly looking over their shoulders. I continued my prank, which consisted of more quiet murmuring and tapping their armor. The Grunts were finally leaving, afraid to stay in the hanger any longer. As they left, Vel entered with the Priestess slung over his shoulder. The Grunts stared in quiet trance, but said nothing as they ran past the threshold. Vel gave them an odd look, but remained silent as well.

He stopped in the center of the room searching for me, and I deactivated the active camo.

"Were you seen?" Vel asked as he moved toward the ship he planned to use.

"No. What took you so long?" I teased.

"Well, I recall asking you to go easy on me." Vel replied. "If that was you being easy, remind me to never anger you."

I laughed and then said in a mock baby tone. "Sorry, I promise once we get outta here, I will give you a big kiss and make it all better."

Vel chuckled, "What did you do to those poor Grunts? They look terrified."

I snorted, and then turned red with embarrassment. But Vel said nothing, so I continued. "Well, I was bored. And Grunts get scared so easily. So, I messed with them a little bit."


	9. Grey Morning

**AN: WOW, i feel so bad for taking so long with this... So sorry... But thank you so much for the favorites, reviews, and followers. really appreciate it! So i revised the last chapter to fit with this one. I only deleted a couple of the paragraphs in chapter 8 cuz I decided i wanted to take this story in a different direction. Well, i hope this is good and that you guys enjoy it. I apologize if there are any mistakes: spelling, grammar, and Halo universe mistakes..**

**I do not own Halo, Bungie does. I own Arica, Vel, Mila, James, and 'Ikol. Please review :D**

Chapter 9 of Prison Love

_Arica's POV_

We had taken a Seraph; they were good for space travel and fighting if necessary. The ship was small, requiring a crew of only two beings. Vel had given me a quick tutorial on how to operate the Seraph's range of many weapons. I caught on quickly, used to learning on how to work new weapons. The Priestess was still unconscious, now buckled up in a passenger seat.

I watched as Vel worked on the dashboard of the spacecraft. "What are you doing?"

Vel glanced up from the assortment of wires and gadgets that he was handling. "Looking for the tracking device. Most Covenant ships have them, in case they go missing."

I nodded, amazed how Vel seemed to think of everything. I sat in the co-pilot seat, continuing to observe him as he searched. "Anything I can do to help?"

"I'm afraid not." Vel pulled out from underneath the ship's controls. "But, you _can_ think of what we are going to do next. Or _where._"

I returned Vel's gaze, contemplating. _Where could we go?_ "We should have discussed that before we left, huh?"

Vel chuckled. "'No time like the present', I believe is a line commonly used by humans?"

I remained silent, considering our options. We needed to get somewhere safe and quick. It wouldn't be long until the New Covenant came after us with a whole armada. "Maybe we could locate my father's ship? Or any UNSC ships?"

Vel tugged an item from the dashboard, and then continued by smashing under his foot. _Must be the tracking device._ "If they don't attack us first. We _are_ in enemy ship."

"Well, there are not a lot of options…" Something caught my eye outside the porthole of the ship. "What is that?"

Vel followed my eye line to the galaxy outside. "It's a shield. It keeps the New Covenant base undetectable, invisible, and no UNSC ships can travel through it."

"Ooooh, nifty." I replied while staring at the blue shimmering force field. "Is it safe to travel through?"

"For Covenant ships, yes." Vel began to amend the damage he had caused to the dashboard. I gazed out the window, watching as our ship got closer to the protection shield. I took a seat in the co-pilots chair, struggling to get comfortable on the hard leather.

"How do you guys sit in these things?" I mumbled as I began to fall asleep.

~A~V~A~

I groaned as someone shook me awake. "What?" I mumbled letting Vel know I was awake even though my eyes were still closed.

"You might want to take a look outside." Vel suggested softly, though I could hear apprehension in his tone.

I stretched my arms above my head and tried to rise from my sleeping place, only to find that Vel had buckled me in. I gave Vel a look as I removed the seatbelt from myself.

"What?" Vel asked, shrugging his shoulders. "There was some turbulence." He defended himself.

I shook my head as moved to the closer to the window, and I was stunned by what I saw.

Floating outside our small ship was the heavy frigate _Grey Morning._ My mouth dropped at the sight of my father's, Captain Grey, spaceship. _What is he doing here? How did he find us?_

"Do you recognize the frigate?" Vel anxiously asked.

I nodded slowly, still surprised. "Yes. It's my father's. How…"

Vel interrupted. "How did he find us? A few hours after you fell asleep, the ship appeared next to us. They were obviously waiting for you."

"But… How could they have known we were here?"

Vel pondered for a moment. "Perhaps they were tracking you. It wouldn't have worked while we were inside the New Covenant force field."

I set my jaw. "I told him I didn't want one. There shouldn't be anything on me or in me!"

"It ended up being for the best. We'll worry about it later." Vel placed his hand on the small of my back, trying to calm my anger. "They must know you're in here, or they would have fired upon us by now."

I sighed, pushing down my feelings for later. "They're opening one of the hangar doors."

Vel sat at the controls of the Seraph, working it towards the _Grey Morning_'s hangar.

~A~V~A~

"Ready to face the music?" I asked, preparing myself.

Vel paused for a moment. He seemed as reluctant as I to leave our ship and face the UNSC. After my time spent with Vel, I had learned how to read Sangheili's facial expressions pretty well. And the emotion worry was written over his face.

"What do you wish to say?" Vel began uncertainly. "About us?"

"Nothing for now. We'll get into that later." I decided. I couldn't possibly imagine my parents' reactions to our relationship. Not that I cared what they thought, but they could be controlling. Well, maybe I did care a bit about what they think. "Just tell them what they need to know."

Vel nodded, but seem depressed by my idea. I began to fear that I had offended him or made him think that I didn't _want _people to know about us.

"Hey," I said softly, moving closer to where he stood. "I don't mean it like that. I do plan to tell my parents in the future, and I do want to tell them. I'm not ashamed or embarrassed by our relationship. If my parents don't like it, they will just have to get over it." I gripped his hand tightly, doing my best to reassure him.

Vel smiled lightly. "I understand. And I am… glad that you feel that way."

I grinned, and motioned towards the hatch door with my head. "Come on, let's get this done with."

Vel moved to the door, ready to hit the button when I stopped him. "Uh, Vel?" He looked at me. I pointed to the still unconscious Priestess. "Is it ok to leave her?"

"I think so." Vel responded. "We'll let the UNSC interrogate her, but I doubt they will get much information from her."

Vel then pressed the button, opening the door, to reveal the congregation of soldiers waiting for us. Each soldier had their weapon, ranging from Battle Rifles to Magnums, directed towards Vel and me.

One soldier, carrying an Assault Rifle, stepped forward to address us. "Put your hands up, and get off the ship! Slowly."

I raised my hands above my head, and looked to Vel who followed suit. I stepped off the ship, only to get plowed over by someone. My eyes focused on the person who was gripping me like a vise. I circled my arms around her when I recognized her.

"Mom?" I asked tentatively, realizing for the first time how much I missed her.

My mother pulled back from me to gaze at my face. "Thank goodness you're safe! We were so worried about you." Tears threatened to fall from her eyes, and then she brought me into another hug.

My mother, Mila, worked as a scientist for the UNSC. She studied the Forerunner objects for several years. She still donned her white lab coat.

"Sorry, Mom. Everything's fine. I'm alright." I did my best to comfort, though I never had much skill in the ability.

I turned to Vel in time to see an officer forcing him into handcuffs. I quickly moved over to them, stopping the officer. "There's no need for these."

"Actually those will be necessary." A deep voice behind me ordered. I frowned at the noise, immediately recognizing who it belonged to. I turned around to face the captain of _Grey Morning_, my father. As always, he was wearing his gray uniform and the same disgruntled look on his face I've seen for years. I had inherited his chocolate brown hair, even though his now had streaks of silver gray in it, and I received my green eyes from my blonde-haired mother.

I cleared my throat, doing my best to not show my discomfort at the waves of intimidation coming from my father. "_He's_ not the one who kidnapped me. In fact, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here right now."

My father, James Grey, gave Vel a sideways glance before returning his attention back to me. "How do you know if he isn't a spy? Only pretending to be your ally to get into the heart of UNSC?"

The statement caught me off guard, making me consider the possibility. I looked to Vel who was staring at me, waiting for my reply. I lingered, hoping Vel would stand up for himself. He remained silent, letting me decide whether or not to trust him after everything we've been through.

I turned back to my father. "I trust him."

The captain scoffed. "Be that as it may, he's still being sent to the brig. Cuff him."

The private continued with his previous engagement, causing me to hold back a growl.

"Is there anyone else on the ship?" Captain Grey asked, releasing me from my stupor.

I nodded, "There's a Sangheilian Priestess on board. She may contain information that will benefit us."

The captain motioned to the soldiers to move forward. I watched as he moved to stand directly in front of me. I tensed until he wrapped his arms around me. He was never one for comforting others, but today I welcomed it. "Did they hurt you?" He whispered softly in my ear. I bit my lip, willing the tears to stay back.

"I don't want to talk about it here." I mumbled, nestling my head into his shoulder. He held me for a few moments, before he seemed to remember where we were. I looked around as my father pulled away to see most of the soldiers staring at us.

"Let's go up to my office, we can speak there." He tugged on my arm, guiding me. I gazed back at Vel who was being lead away from me.

~A~V~A~

_Vel's POV_

The soldiers left me in a small, concrete room. On the other side of the room, was a skinny bunk bed that would barely fit a Sangheili. They hadn't removed the handcuffs that were now beginning to scrape against my leathery skin. I crossed the room in a few footsteps, and then sat down on the bed to wait.

Arica could never realize how exultant she made me feel by saying those three simple words. I had become afraid when the captain tried to dissuade her from me, but she still stood strong.

My train of thought was interrupted as the cell door opened to reveal a Sangheili General. The fluorescent lights reflected off his gold armor. He stood before, tall with pride.

"Kylok 'Radai." The General addressed me. "I never thought I would see you again."

I gave him an apprehensive look. "Do I know you?"

"We have most likely fought together on the battlefield, but other than that no." He replied. "Many have heard of you."

Silence ensued for a few moments. "What are you doing on an UNSC ship?" I asked him.

"You have been gone for a long time." The Sangheili stated. "Our kind has been caught in civil war for a while now."

"A civil war?" I frowned.

He nodded. "Many wish to destroy the humans, and those under Thel 'Vadam wish to keep the alliance strong. Those who vouch for the humans have been chased away from their home planet. We now reside on planet Earth."

"The humans allow us to live with them?" I'm surprised, after everything that has happened in the past.

"For the time being." The Sangheili replied. "We offer them our services when the New Covenant decides to fight. I command what few of our soldiers that reside on this ship. Now, I would like a report of what transpired during your time with the New Covenant and Captain Grey's daughter."

I leaned back and began my tale.

~A~V~A~

_Arica's POV_

I stuffed another bite of the meal my mother cooked for me into my mouth. It wasn't great, but it felt like an eternity since I had a good meal. I had just finished telling them a little bit about my time in the New Covenant base. I described to my mother about the 'prison' Vel and I had been kept in. She decided it must have been a Forerunner artifact that we were trapped inside of.

I had mentioned the torture for information I'd endured. My father only seemed to care whether or not I had revealed anything. My mother reacted deliriously.

My father tossed a folder full of papers onto the table in front of me.

"You'll need to fill this report out. I want to know everything that went on in there." Captain Grey directed.

I groaned, taking the folder and flipping through it. My mother spoke up.

"James," Mila chided. "She's been through a horrible experience. Give her some ti-…"

"Time?" James interrupted. "Time, so she can forget details that may be important? She records what happened today."

"It's okay, Mom." I sighed. "I can deal with it."

She bowed her head and remained silent. I reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. She looked back up to meet my eye line, and smiled.

"But," I began, facing my father. "There's something I want to talk about."

He crossed his arms. "Yes?"

"How did you find me?"

Captain Grey remained silent for a moment. "I believe… you already know."

I stood up from my seat, bracing myself on the table. "What did I say about tracking devices?"

"Did you really believe, just because you disagreed with the method, that I wouldn't do it?" He growled. "I did it for your safety. And it's a good thing I did or we would never have found you!"

I straightened. "Where. Is. It?"

The door across from us slid open exposing a gold-armored Sangheili General and behind him, Vel. Relief flooded through me knowing that he was unharmed. The General held a thick folder in his hands.

The General seemed to notice the animosity in the air. "Is everything alright, sir?"

Captain Grey turned to him. "Yes, it's fine. Is that the report?" He gestured to the file.

"Yes, sir." The General handed it to him. "Captain Grey, I would like you meet my new second-in-command Kylok 'Radai."

"Second-in-command?" Grey sounded surprised. "You already trust him so greatly?"

The General nodded. "Yes, but why does it matter to you if he is my second-in-command? You won't need to worry about him."

"Right." My father sounded unsure. "Just keep him in line, General 'Ikol."

The General bowed his in resisting submission. "Of course, sir."

My father walked around the table to where I was seated. "Have you managed to retrieve any information from the Priestess?"

"No, sir." General Ikol replied. "It will be tough to break her."

I wondered if they were using Vel's methods on her. _Would my father allow that?_

"Inform me when you have." Captain Grey spoke coldly. "You may leave now."

I did my best to hide my irritation at my father for how he was treating them. _No reason to be rude! They are on our side now._

The two Sangheili left without another word. I decided it was time to leave too. I grabbed the file I needed to fill out.

"Well, I'm gonna go now. Fill out this report." I gestured to it as I moved towards the door.

"Alright, sweetie. But I would like to talk to you later?" My mother proposed.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Of course." I mentally smacked myself in the head as I stumbled through my sentences. "See you guys later." I rushed through the door.

~A~V~A~

I walked down the halls, searching for Vel. An area of the _Grey Morning_ was now designated to the Sangheili as a place for them to inhabit during their time on the ship. I had previously just finished writing out a report for my father, leaving out the parts with Vel and me. I was definitely not ready for my parents to know about my relationship with Vel.

Feeling exasperated, I rounded a corner, considering on coming back later to find Vel. I didn't get much time to think about as I ran into something or someone on the other side of the corner. I had hit the person with another force to knock me down as I landed hard on my butt. I looked up to find none other than Vel gazing down at me.

"Ow…" I grunted as I rubbed my injured tailbone.

Vel chuckled. "Arica, please, you really should watch where you are going."

I glared at him and held my hand out, signaling to him to pull me up. Vel laughed as he brought me to my feet. I dusted the dirt of my butt.

"Thanks for laughing." I growled at him.

"You're welcome." He replied nicely. "Did you need to converse with me?"

I looked over my shoulder, checking to see if there was anyone. The halls were clear. "Yeah, I did. I was curious about what you said in your report."

"You mean," Vel began. "You were wondering if I mentioned 'us'?"

I shifted from foot to foot. "Yes."

"I managed to find a way to tell it without any word of what transpired between us. I will not say anything until I have your permission." Vel confirmed.

I smiled. "Thanks." Using my tip-toes, I reached up and gave Vel a quick kiss. Well, I thought it would be a quick kiss. Vel wrapped his arms around me, deepening it.

I sighed as we broke apart, happiness bubbling in my stomach. I decided I was ready to say three words.

"I love you."


	10. WARNING! Only an Author's Note!

**Yes, this is only an author note, which I apologize for, but I just needed inform you guys stuff. I'm really sorry for the hiatus. I've just been busy and honestly I got stuck in my story. I didn't know how or where i wanted to go with it. But I've brainstormed plenty and finally decided a storyline. So i decided to go ahead and revise the entire story so I will no longer publish under this story title. Instead I'll start a new story title, Prison Love (revised). I'll rewrite and continue it there. I'll already have it up and the first revise chapter published by the time you read this. Thank you to all my readers that have stayed with this story for so long and are still interested in reading it. If it wasn't for you guys I would have stopped this story a long time ago. The best way to find this new story title is to just click on my username and look at the stories I've published. I considered renaming Prison Love, but I figured it'd be easier to find if I just left it with that name. I'm going to go ahead and check this story as 'completed'. **

**Again thank you so much and I hope you will continue to read this story. I'll try not to be so lazy with my updating. :P**


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